Wrecking crane



Oct. l5, 1929. r; .w. HOLMES WRECKING CRANE Filed Nov. 14,- 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 W SII tu@ www y l N WN L mvcmfoz ZvzeJM//aiw l immun,

Oct. 15, 1929. E. w. HoLMS wn'EoxING CRANE vFiled Nov. .14..v 1924 4. sheets-sym `eI Oct. l5, 1929. E. w. HOLMES 1,732,047

WRECKING CRANE Filed NOV. 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v Z'r/MJM/lmea.

Oct. 15', 1929. E.. w. HoLMEs 1,732,047

WRECKING CRANE 3151Av W Patented Get. 15, 1929 TENT OFFICE ERNEST V7. HOLMES, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO ERNEST HOLMES COMPANY, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE WRECKING CRANE p Application filed November 14, 1924. Serial No. 749,973.

This invention relates to wrecking cranes for lifting and towing wrecked or disabled automobiles and proposes new and useful combinations and arrangements of parts which render the device superior in strength, simplicity of construction, eiliciency, and general adaptability tothe uses incidental to its `especial field of employment, to wrecking cranes as they have been constructed heretofore.

ldore specifically, the objects of the invention include the making of improvements in the swinging booms disclosed in my Patent No. 1,359,378 granted November 16, 1920, by which the booms are made adjustable for height.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description of the preferred embodiment thereof develops.

In the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved wrecking crane. i

Figure 2 is an end view on an enlarged scale, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure L is a side elevation of a portion of the frame showing the swivel cable guide.

Figure 5 is a similarview showing the cable guide in section.

Figure 6 is a front view of the cable guide.

Figure 7 is a plan View of the same.

Figure 8 is a front elevation showing one of the extensible legs in retracted position relative to the frame.

Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of one of the extensible legs showing the latching means.

Figure 10 is a section taken along the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Figure 11- isa side elevation of the eXtensi ble leg and its latching means.

Figure 12 is a similar view from the opposite side.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 designates the frame in general which consists of a longitudinal member 2- adapted to be arranged lengthwise of the frame or chassis of an auto vehicle,

and to which the transverse member 3 is secured, said longitudinal and transverse members lying in a substantially horizontal plane. The transverse member is preferably formed of spaced angle irons 4 and 5 between which are secured the converging members 6 and 7 constituting the boom-supporting upright. ylhe lower ends of said converging members projectbelow the horizontal plane of the longitudinal and transverse members and therefore below the frame of the auto vehicle chassis but they terminate at a suiiicient distance from the ground to provide ample road clearance. Said projecting ends are strengthened by the spaced brace members 54 and to the angle irons l and 5. The booms 8 and 9 emanate from sockets 10 and 11 which are pivotally mounted to swing on horizontal axes, by means of bolts 12 which pass through horizontal apertures in said sockets, and in the spindle bodies 13 andlfl, the latter being journalled upon vertically arranged spindle bolts 15 and 16. Said spindle bolts constitute the end members of a sub-frame, the top and bottom members of which are preferably formed by the angle irons 17 and 18, said sub frame beingsecured to the converging members 6 and 7 of the boom-supporting upright, and braced by the diagonal struts and 66 which are rigidly fastened to the horizontal members of the subframe and to the transverse member 3. A brace which I prefer to construct of a pair of angle irons 19 and 2O extends diagonally from the l'ongitudinal member 2 to the upper ends ofthe converging memberst and 7. The upper end of said brace,l well as the upper ends of said converging members are secured to a head block 21. The head block is provided with a suitable aperture, not shown, in which the swivel pulley 22 is journalled. While it is to be noted that the unitary part of my improved wrecking crane, including the horizontal members, the upright, the sub-frame and the brace are admirably adapted to be fabricated from structural angle iron, the invention is by no means limited to the use of such material it being thoroughly practicable to use tubular or other forms of metallic construction, if desired. The booms are preferably tubular as in the former wrecker, disclosed in my aforementioned patent.

VThe booms 8 and 9 are independently supported in elevated position by means of cables 23 and 24' secured to the outer ends of said booms and passing through swivel guides adjacent the top of the converging members 6 and 7, said ycables .being then secured to said converging members. The swivelguides are illustrated in Figures t, 5 and G, each comprising a stationary bracket 25, preferably flat on that side which bolts against the frame as'shown at 26 in Figure 4, said bracket being formed with a cylindrical Vbore which ares outwardly atA 27 forming a curved seat forfthe oscillatably mounted guide plate 28. Said guide plate has a turned-over portion which conforms to the flare of the bracket and is provided with a channel 29 through which the cable passes, the upper portion of said channel being cut away as at 30 adjacent the end of the guide plate 2,8 to allow for different angular positions assumed by the cable for different degrees of elevation of the boom. The function of the swivel guides is to swing with the cables 23 and 2a when the booms are turned about their vertical axes and their object is' to prevent flattening the cables when the boom is under load, which would result should the cables pass around an Y angular support, and also to prevent ehaling or wearing of the cables.

' In practice, the height to which the booms should be elevated depends upon the nature ofthe wreck which is tobe lifted. The booms may be independently adjusted for height prior to submitting them to the strain of the load by means shown in Figures 4 and 5, consistingof a groovedthimble-plate 3l for each of thecables23 and 24 about which the end of the cableis looped as shown, said thimble Vplate being provided with a fixed pin 32 the inner end of which inelines upwardly. Said fixed pin Ais p referably made integral with the handle 33 and may be passed through an aperture in the thimble plate and rigidly secured thereto. The pin 32 is adapted to 'be selectively inserted in any one of a series of apertures 3-t formed in the webs of the converging members 6 and 7. Vhen a load is imposed upon one of the Vbooms an upward pull is exerted upon theithimble plate forcing the pin 32 into'engagement with the upper wall of the'aperture 34'in which it is inserted. The inclined relation of the pin 32 to the surface of the thimble plate ensures that the harder the pull upon the cable the more intimate will be the frictional contact between the pin andthe Wall of said aperture. I have shown additionalmeans for preventing slippage of the pin from the aperture 34 consisting of a notch 35 formed in the upper side of the pin 32. Y

y In VFigure 1 the booms are shown latched together in a manner which is disclosed in said aforementioned patent and the details of which fastening means need not here be described. It is to be understood, however, that in many applications of use the booms are unlatched and oppositely positioned, one boom being anchored to any suitable stationary body for the purpose of steadying the apparatus and the other being connected by means of its hoisting -able to the wreck. The hoisting cable is shown at 3G in Figure l and passes over a pulley 37 at the end of one of the booms.

The hoisting mechanism consists of a drum 3S to which the cable 3G is attached at its lower end, said drum and the operating mechanism therefor being covered in my cepending application No. 6511.584-, filed July lll, 1923 and therefore requiring in this application no detailed description except in so far it relates to the latching mechanism for preventing inadvertent unwinding` movement of the drum. rThis mechanism in the present instance is shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3 and consists of spaced lugs supporting a pin Ll0 upon which is mounted a pawl 4-1, the latter engaging teeth in the drinn gear Said pawl is formed with an arm 4:3 on the opposite of the pin t0 which arm is connected by means of a resilient link 414-. to a crank 45 the lrtcr being constituted by a diverted portion of the operating rod 46 as is clearly shown in Figure 2. Said rod rotates in bearings 47 and t8 suitably secured to the members 17 of the sub-frame or to any other convenient stationary part of the structure and is provided outside of said bearings with handles t9 and 5() which can be conveniently reached as well from one side of the crane as from the other. The pawl tl maintains engaging relation with the drum gear 42 by gravity. Then it is desired to lift said pawl, as when paying out cable or loweringl the load, one of the handles is swung` in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 to the position indicated at 50', cai-lyingl the spring across dead center and thereby maintaining` the pawl in position of release even when the handle is letv go. Vilhile a load is upon the hoisting cable the friction between the engaging faces of the gear teeth and pawl is greater than the tension of the spring Alat so that until the load is purposely taken oil of the pawl by turning the drum slightly in a winding direction, it is impossible to make the pawl escape from the gear teeth by operating the handles 49 or 50. This ensures against the inadvertent dropping of the load under all conditions.

As in the case of the wrecking crane described and claimed in my prior patent hereinbefore mentioned the present crane is provided with eXtensible legs 5l and 52, said legs in the present embodiment of the invention comprising angle irons of T cross-section having suitably shaped feet or base plates lil 53 secured to the lower ends thereof. Said lees slide within the channel oit' each ot the converging members ot the upright being` retained in position behind the nuts 67 and 68 by means of which the spaced angle irons l and 5 which constitute the transverse member 3, and the braces Fill and 55 are secured to the convergingl members ot the upright. A portion ot the upper end ot the extensible leg,l in line with said nuts is struck inwardly as shown at 56 in Figure 9, sai-d struck-in portion 'formingl retainin means tor limitingthe range oit outward extension ot said legs by coming;1 in contact with the uppermost ot said nuts when the les; is extended to its limit. llifhile the aforesaid nuts and struclein portion atloi'd a very convenient means tor guiding1 and retaining the extensible leg` it is to be understood that other equivalent expediente may be employed without transcending the scope oit' the invention.

That tace ot the extensible leg; which engages the web of the convergine` members l or 5 is provided with a plurality of apertures 5i' adapted to be selectively brought into registry with the single aperture 58 termed in said web. Latchinp; means is provided in the form of rockin lever 59 which is oscillatably mounted upon a pin 50 lifted at its opposite ends in the braces and Said rocking lever is provided with a socket Gl at one end forming a seat tor a spring G2 and at the other end is furnished with a pin 6?; adapted to project beyond the inner end et the aperture 58. The spring` 62 normally biases the rocking' lever in a direction to maintain the pin in its projected position. To lower the extensible legs it is merely necessary to press the upper end ot the rocking lever which will permit the legv to slide d own by `gravity until it reaches the ground or any convenient resting` place, the rocking; lever beingl then let go. As the tires ot the auto vehicle upon which the wreclrer is mounted tlatten slightly under the imposed load of the wreck being handled, the leg; will be pushed upwardly with resjlect to the converging,a member until one ot the apertures 57 comes into registry with the aperture 5S, at which point the pin 6B will automatically spring into said registering aperture holding` the extensible legi; rigidly against tui-ther retraction. its the load upon the auto vehicle increases it is automatically transferred trom the tires to the extensible legs, taking all undue strain i trom the auto vehicle and confining,l it entirely to the crane structure. lli/hen it is desired to retract the legs the rochingv lever is moved to depress the spring;- 62, raising the pin (33. rlhe extensible leg may then be conveniently pulled up to the desired elevation by taking` hold o't the handle 64. lWhcn said handle is released, the extensible legi` may l@invitate downwardly a short distance until one of the apertures comes into alignment with the pins 63 whereupon the ei:- tensible leg will autoniiatically be held securely in elevated position.

Although l have thus described the preterred embodiment ot my invention, it is evident that those slrilled in the arts to which this relates may malte various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement oi' the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope ot the invention.

l'ilaving` described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y l. ln a wrecking crane, upright boom supporting means having` a plurality oi vertically spaced sockets therein, a boom pivotally connected at oneend to said simporting` means to swing vertically, a cable secured at one end to said boom toward its 'free end, a guide mounted on the upper portion ot said boom supporting` means and over which the intermediate portion oi" the cable is movable longitudiinilly, and a handle attached to the other end ot the cable and carrying a pin which is selec'ztively engageable with any one oit the vertically spacedsochets in said boom supporting' means tor making step-by-step adjustments ol the elevation of the tree end oit the boom.

2. ln a wrecking crane, boom supporting` means including a member formed with apertures, a boom carried by said supporting means, a cable secured to said boom and a plate carried by said cable having a projection lined at an acute angle to the direction of pull on said cable, said projection beingI selectively engageable with any ot said apertures.

3. In a wrecking crane, boom supporting,` means, a boom pivotally connected thereto and singularly inclinable, an adjustingl cable secured to said boom and having` a member engageable selectively at any one ot a plurality ot points with said supporting means, and a cable guide adjacent the upper end oit' said supporting means in which said ca ble `is slidably retained.

It. In a wrecking crane, an upright inember, a normally upwardly inclined boom pivotally connected thereto to swing` upon a vertical axis, acable secured at one end to the free end ot said boom and selectively engageable at its other end with a side ot said upright member at different points in its height, and a cable guide mounted against a side of said upright member toward the upper end thereof and through which said cable freely passes, for determining a change in the direction ol said cable.

5. In a wrecking crane, an upright mem ber, a normally upwardly inclined boom pivotally connected thereto to swing upon a vertical axis, a cable secured to the free end of said boom and adjustably connected to said upright member, and a cable guide mounted adjacent the upper Vend of said upright member through which said cable freely passes, for determining a change in the direction of said cable, said guide comprising a socket'secured against a side of said upright member and a cable engaging shoe swivelly mounted in said socket.

Y 6. In a wrecking crane, an upright member7 a normally upwardly inclined boom pivotally connected thereto to swing upon a'vertical axis, a cable secured to the free end of said boom and to said upright member, and a cable guide mounted adjacent the upper end of said upright member through Which said cable freely passes, for determining a change in the direction of said cable, said guide comprising ay socket secured against a side of said upright member and a cableiengaging shoe having a sleeve swivelly mounted in said socket, said shoe having a flared and rounded cable-engaging end above and resting on the socket.

7; A wrecking crane including a boom supporting upright member, a normally upwardly inclined boom pivotally connected thereto to swingon both vertical and hori- Zontal aXes, a swivel cable guide mounted adjacent the upper end ot' .said upright y member7 a cable secured to said boom and passing through said guide and a plate carried by said cable,said plate and said upright member below Vsaid guide being formed vwith interengaging means selectively engageable for adjusting the elevation of said boom. Y

8.` A wrecking crane including a boom supporting upright member, a normally upwardly inclined boom pivotally connected thereto to swing on both vertical and hori- Zontal axes, a swivelledicable guide mounted adjacent the upper end of said upright member, saidupright member being provided with a plurality of apertures below said guide, a cable secured to said boomV and passing through said guide and a plate carried by said cable having a projection selectively engageable with any of said apertures for adjusting the elevation of said boom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y ERNEST WQ HOLMES. 

